Limerick veteran Shane Dowling is in no doubt that Richie Hogan's All-Ireland final red card was deserved.

It was one of the major talking points as Tipperary trounced Hogan's Kilkenny at Croke Park.

Dowling, who could have been playing in the final again if Limerick had beaten Kilkenny in the semi, watched the match on TV.

On initial viewing, he thought Hogan had made no contact with Cathal Barrett's head.

"When I saw it in real-time, I thought Cathal Barrett dived," he told us as he analysed the final alongside The Sunday Times' Denis Walsh.

"It was only when the replays came back [that I realised he hadn't]. But essentially [Hogan] gave him an elbow to the head. Whether he meant it or not, it's a red card."

Earlier, ex-Clare hurler Jamesie O'Connor had raised the issue of inconsistency when it comes to similar decisions.

Dowling touched on that aspect and raised the case of Kilkenny's Cillian Buckley who escaped punishment against Limerick. Indeed, Dowling bumped into that day's match referee Alan Kelly a few days later.

"I was going to the Galway races last Friday week and I was told to drive into this car park," he said.

"The Garda was actually Alan Kelly"

"And when I looked out it was a Garda that was doing it. I took a closer look and the Garda was actually Alan Kelly. It was only five days after the semi-final.

"Anyway, I got to speak to him and we had a great chat about everything. But the thing I took out of that conversation I had with him was that - he's a human at the end of the day - he was as upset as everyone in Limerick was that he missed a couple of calls.

"Because he doesn't want that to be happening. And it's no different with James Owens. One thing I will say about James yesterday, was that he showed so much composure after [the Hogan incident] happened. He took his time and spoke to the linesman. I thought he did everything right. And it was a red card!"

He also added that an earlier incident between Hogan and Cathal Barrett should have also been a red card for the latter.

You can watch the full chat with Shane Dowling on the video above.

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